Ikea Trofast Unit

I bought this Trofast unit from Ikea. I had it delivered to the house. I won't do that again. Only because the bottom corners got a little mangled. It's not noticeable, because I have the munched parts facing the wall. I prefer to GO to Ikea & get my stuff. Better experience!

This Trofast unit is used a lot in children's rooms. The drawers hold a LOT. You can get drawer covers for them, as I did. This is the tallest Trofast unit. If I had this in a playroom, or child's bedroom, I would definitely secure it to the wall. I only have ONE complaint about this unit. No back. It seemed slightly wobbly .... so I had my husband cut a 1/4" piece of plywood & we used a pneumatic brad nail gun to secure the plywood to the unit.

 

Of course I had to girlly it up some! Here it is sans shelf paper.

I cut the shelf liner paper about 3.25" inches deep & left it the 18 inches wide. At 18 inches, the liner paper does NOT go to the middle of the sides of each drawer. Only just barely around the sides. But it looks better that way then just cutting it to fit the fronts of the drawers.

In this photo you can see that the back (plywood that we installed) is papered as well. I got lucky, the plywood was 18 inches wide!  I really like how this sets off the unit. You sure CAN NOT see it when the drawers are in, but it gives it a little unexpected detail.

Putting a back on this unit also keeps the drawers from sliding all the way against the wall. Now they all only go back the exact same amount of space & line up at the front just perfect. I can not stand stuff not being level, or inconsistent! So putting a back on this Trofast unit solved more than just a few of my little ticks!!

Cardboard Magazine Holders

I have a LOT of patterns. When I get my closet (in my new sewing room) I will have a shelf with just these magazine holders on it. Filled with my patterns. Well , they are pretty boring. So I trolled around on Pinterest & found a few ideas to cover them. With shelf liner paper.

I bought a bunch of these holders at Office Depot on clearance. I think I got like 36? Something like that. $1.99 for 3. They were on clearance because they are being discontinued.

I used a black & white toile shelf liner paper from the Dollar Tree. Each roll? $1.00 ! They are not large. Not for $1.00 !  18 inches X 54 inches per roll.  

I also put a little rectangle of chalk board paper right where the white blank space was. I failed to get a photo. But in the very first picture, where the white label box is? That's where I have the chalk board label.

This toile really ties the black & white theme together. I bought a bunch of rolls!!!

Shirt Quilt #2

9 patches. I'm making them scrappy, so no speed cutting in sets. 9 little 1.5" squares. I only do like 20 at a time because they are pretty boring & my hands start cramping up!

4 rows done, 5 to go! A piano key string border to go too! The angle of the string blocks is RANDOM, so if you're looking for a rhyme or reason of how they are set? Don't waste your time. Because there is not one!

This photo makes the blocks look so washed out. it must have been the lighting. I like this quilt best so far of the "shirts".

Shirt Quilt #3 / Only Half Way

Accountability people. That's what this post is.


Pattern is free from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville website. I think she calls it Mountains Majesty. It's a Delectable Mountains variation. Whatever. It's an easy pattern. Easy to screw up too. I honestly don't think I have enough contrast between MY lights & darks, but it sure shows up fine in these pictures.


Cool. Works for me!


This is only HALF done. I need 7 more rows of 14 blocks each. Then I don't know if I'll leave it with NO borders, or if I'll put more Mountain blocks on, as the border. We'll see how enthusiastic I am when I get to that point! Here it's seen on a queen sized bed in our spare room. it currently touches the edge of each side of the BOTTOM of the quilt beneath it. Edge to edge on each border.

It's possible, I'll put my Shirt Quilts on hold thru Christmas, as I have SO MUCH to get done! I am trying to get some ornaments sewn for my daughters I am using the patterns from MMMCrafts, the "12 Days Of Christmas" series. She has only published thru 7:


http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/p/twelve-days.html




I started last year & did a whole ONE ornament. I want to better than that this year. When I complete any, I'll post those as well.


As Always, Talk To Y'All later!
M

Shirt Quilt #1

This is the first quilt that I have finished. Made from men's cotton button up shirts. The green was a sheet.


It measures 89" X 104" ( I think. I measured it last night, wrote it on a sticky note & pinned it to the quilt top - but I simply can't remember what it is exactly!) It is, as yet, un-quilted. I am trying to use a flannel sheet as the backing & I need to make that flat sheet larger by adding strips of the fitted sheet to it. Still working on that.

I should have taken the picture with it on the bed. But I didn't. Oh well.

I wanted to knock a few of the "Shirt Quilts" out before I resume my unfinished projects again. That way, I'm not rushing to have something for the show next October.


M

November. Already !

Wow. I'm a rotten blogger! It's been awhile since I've even thought about writing a post. Rest assured - I have been busy.


My daytime job has had some major new programs rolled out. Change is difficult. Necessary, but confusing. My EXACT job is changing. Morphing in to other things. Maybe bigger & better. Maybe not. I don't want to dwell on what might be pessimistic or negative. So I'll leave this subject with this end. this post isn't about my daytime job - just musings about why I have been so absent lately. Also - it's weighed heavy on my mind and my heart that a very dear friend of mine, her husband died in October. It's been rough for her. and the whole situation really hits close to home.


I HAVE been sewing. Lot's of sewing actually. In September, at my quilt guild meeting, I had suggested the theme & name of the October 2017 Quilt Show that my guild puts on. Well the theme was well received, but I also , sort of volunteered to chair the show. Yah. I did that. The theme (or name) of the Quilt Show for 2017 ???? "The Shirt Off My Back" You know....quilts made from shirts. Cotton shirts, T-Shirts...etc. Leave it to me to suggest a theme for which I have NO QUILTS!


Making quilts from men's shirts is a LOT of work! I have bought all my shirts from Goodwill. Mostly on the 99 cent days. Or the 50% off color of the day. Some have been incredibly difficult to cut up, such nice quality. But for 99 cents, I didn't have too much heartburn. I bring them home, wash them in hot water. Dry them in a hot dryer. Then remove buttons & cuffs & collars. I have a nice collection of shirt buttons now! then I remove the seams.


I have officially completed ONE  Rail Fence quilt from shirts & I am working on 2 more.  I made a Teddy Bear from a shirt too. He's so cute.


I am not going to post photos of my shirt quilts, as I want what I make to be a SURPRISE next year at the show.


I know one thing is for sure..........I am SO GLAD that I don't have to make all my quilts from repurposed clothing. It's very, very VERY time consuming!


So.........Once I have these 3 quilts completed, I will resume my pile of unfinished projects.


M